Who Wants to Live Forever
by BasilandDorianGay
Summary: You wouldn t believe it but Torchwood is closing down for one week. Due to this Jack and Ianto go on a trip. Just the two of them... My first story, so please feel free to write a review! - Disclaimer: I don t own anything but my own head and heart.
1. Chapter 1

Ianto has just been about to finish packing his bags and brewing two travel bottles of coffee. He had to admit that he wasn´t good at multitasking: While he was avoiding that one of the bottles would flood the whole kitchen, he was still holding two shirts in his hand. When he has been packing he hasn´t been able to choose which one he should take with him on Jack´s and his first holiday trip. But now it wasn´t a question anymore: He would take the one without the coffee stains. Though Jack was addicted to his coffee it wouldn´t be nice to walk around with a dirty shirt that may distract him. It is enough distraction for Jack if he has Ianto around him or within his sight. And this of course wouldn´t be an advantage since Jack wanted to drive and needed to concentrate on the traffic.  
It was July. Everything was calm in Cardiff even the Rift. So Jack, since he is the one in command, in many ways, decided that Torchwood could close down for a week or two. To him it seemed a great idea. He could take his Welsh boy on a trip through England. Sometimes Jack thought about the fact that it couldn´t be healthy for this young boy in suit to just sit in the Hub and go Weevil hunting from time to time. It was nearly impossible to flee the Hub or even to leave Cardiff or Wales. There was always trouble. But Jack really wanted to give Torchwood´s employees the days off they needed. Gwen was happy about that and instantly called Rhys and they also wanted to do a trip. Jack made sure that Gwen and Rhys would go somewhere else than the place he had chosen. Toshiko at first didn´t want to leave the Hub, but Jack allowed her to take one of Torchwood´s laptop with her, so she would have a connection to the data of the Rift while nobody is around. Owen just left the Hub on the last day and smirked when he put his white doctor´s coat on the rub.  
Jack still felt responsible for all of them and indeed for the Hub and for Myfanwy. The pterodactyl was the most independent member of the team: It just hunted mice in the Hub to survive and it will certainly find some dark chocolate Ianto left somewhere for it.  
Today was the day. The Captain had to leave his ship… eh Hub behind. When Jack tidied up his desk he opened the third drawer and took an old handwritten book from it. He decided to take his diary with him. Maybe there will be moments worth remembering in detail. Maybe? There surly will be great moments with Ianto! He smirked while putting the book into his bag. Then he left his office and locked it. He stopped before he stepped down the stairs and took a last checking look at the Hub. This view made him thinking but he soon was interrupted by a big thing that flew around the Hub. "You got me there, Myfanwy. The Captain can´t leave behind his crew for just a few days." Stepping down the stairs he erased all his thoughts about a possible incident that could happen while he is not around. When he reached the door that leads to Ianto´s "tourist office" he thought about his lover in his suit, reddish shirt and tie. The very thought about Ianto´s appearance made him hurry. He was eager to be with him. So he left and took the keys for the SUV. Since he is the boss he is allowed to take this big black car with the non-transparent windows whenever he wanted to.  
Jack had packed his bag thoughtfully. He put in some comfy shoes, different shirts (but not the bluish-greenish one Ianto doesn´t like) and his short-sleeved jacket that made him look even gayer in his opinion. And of course his second coat. Nobody knows that Jack owns two coats but after all the years he lived he had to admit that even this timeless piece of fabric was not unaffected by time like he was.  
With a smirk on his face he drove to Ianto´s flat to pick him up. Ianto was ready to leave and waited in the aisle, looked at himself in the mirror and thought about the trip. The doorbell rang. Ianto opened and saw a tall man in coat with a sassy smile on his face. "Wanna join me on a trip in my big black car, pretty boy?"  
"Gyda phleser!" (With pleasure) responded the pretty boy and blushed. The older one slipped very close to Ianto through the door into the aisle and took the bags. He turned around to bring the bags into the car and saw some blue eyes looking straight, well not straight, into his eyes. "Made some coffee for the ride" mumbled the one in the suit. "You fulfil all my dreams instantly" said Jack smiling and kissing Ianto on the cheek. They put everything into the car and took their seats. Ianto sat there in excitement: "So, you hi-jacking me then?" – "Of course! You may know me as Jack the hi-jacker. I won´t tell you where we go. And when we arrive I will do things with you …", Jack joked. "At first I need to tie you up!" Jack grabbed Ianto´s striped tie and pulled so their lips touched. Thanks to the non-transparent windows of the SUV nobody saw them. Nobody saw how passionately Jack kissed Ianto.  
When the kiss was over, due to the need of breathing, Jack reached for the co-driver seatbelt and fastened it first and then his own.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

They drove out of the city and took the M4. "Ddwued wrthyf! Tell me, where are we going!" said the Welsh man. "Again, no! It´s a surprise!" – "You know I hate surprises?" – "Yes!", said Jack smiling. "I really hope for your life that we are not going to stay somewhere in the country! You remember our trip with the team?" – "Yes, quite well, but don´t talk about work now. Just for this week it´s only me and you and not the team", said Jack thoughtfully.  
Ianto opened one of the travel bottles, took a big sip of coffee and then looked at Jack and then out of the window as they drove. Just the two of them, alone.  
Nobody said a word for about ten minutes. Ianto was happy but also a bit furious due to the suprise Jack made of their destination. They reached Newport. As they drove on a bridge above a river Jack asked: "What´s that river called?" - "It´s the River Usk", aswered Ianto. "Sounds Russian to me. Are you sure?", said Jack rolling the R. "Yes, the Welsh name is Afon Wysg. But they chose a simpler name for the official maps because not everyone speaks Welsh." "Like me! Welsh sometimes sounds like Russian or an alien language. Still it sounds sexy, especially when you speak it", said Jack with a big smile on his face. "Sir!", Ianto blushed. "I told you a thousand times, it´s Jack for you!", said the driver hitting his co-driver´s shoulder.  
"Are you always listening to the radio in the car?", Ianto wanted to know. "Yes, I don´t really care about it, when I am driving I often have other things in mind than the music in the background." "Iawn, so I guess you won´t complain if I choose the music?", asked the boy in suit. "No, it´s alright with me." "I have to confess that I brought some records of my collection", said Ianto grabbing into his backpack. He produced about 20 CDs from it. He looked at them thoughtfully, chose one after looking at each CD twice and put it into the CD-slot. The music started with a wild piano solo. Some spacey noises started and an electric guitar took over. A man began to sing passionately. "... death on two legs. You tearing me apart...", sang the man. "Let me guess. That´s Queen, innit it?", Jack asked delighted. "Yes, and if you can already name the album you get something special later...", Ianto hinted. "Well, give me one more song and I will tell you!", Jack chafferd. "Okay, I do have pity." The next song again started with a piano solo but it was some kind of ragtime tune. "I would dare saying it´s _A Night At The Opera_ ", Jack presumed. "Of course it is. The Deluxe Edition... As promised you get your surprise. You will receive the first part right away", said Ianto cheerfully and kissed Jack´s left cheek.  
"So, the next song is about cars. Well, but listen! I will improve this song a bit for you", said Ianto cunningly. He put his finger on the pause button and pressed it after the first lines of the song. "The machine of a dream, such a clean machine", Roger Taylor sang. "The man of a dream, such a clean shaven man", Ianto sang. "With the pistons a pumpin', and the hubcaps all gleam. When I'm holding your wheel, All I hear is your gear, When my hand's on your grease gun, Oh it's like a disease son", the drummer sang. "With the coat trembling and the hair all great. When I´m holding your hand, All I hear is your heart, When my lips are on yours, Oh it´s like a disease man", Ianto smirked. "I'm in love with my car, gotta feel for my automobile, Get a grip on my boy racer rollbar, Such a thrill when your radials squeal", Taylor sang. "I´m in love with my Jack, gotta feel for my pretty chief, Get a grip on my man´s crispy arse, Such a thrill when he touches myself." "Oh my god stop it!", Jack said laughing. "Didn´t you like it?" "Yes, but now it gets quite offensive and I am sitting here with my seatbelt on, behind the stirring wheel and need to concentrate on the road. And you tell me things like that. This wears out my self-control. We will surly continue this at the next stop", Jack said putting his left hand on Ianto´s knee. "So we will arrive soon?", Ianto guessed. "No, just a break. I planned everything in detail so we won´t miss a thing", Jack told him. "That´s not fair. I don´t want to be surprised, tell me, where are we going?", the Welsh boy insisted. "No!"  
They had already left the M4 and drove through a city called Magor. Even Ianto never heard of it. They followed the B4245. Then they reached Caldicot. At some point Jack turned left. When they had left the last houses behind a castle was visible at the horizon. "We are going to visit that castle?", Ianto asked. "Yes, you getting faster, Watson. And that castle is called Caldicot Castle", Jack responded. "I thought you don´t like medieval things", said the co-driver. "Well not in general, but castles near the sea are something completely different…" "I see, this is an exception. And it doesn´t have to do anything with my passion for castles", Ianto smirked. "You got me there!"


	3. Chapter 3

They stopped near the castle. "So, are these windows really non-transparent? Nobody can look inside the car and see us?", Ianto asked smiling. "No, What do you think? In that case Torchwood is like some kind of secret service. Nothing about aliens or mysterious incidents leaves this car", the Captain replied. "I hope so. I am about to do something one shouldn´t do in public", said the boy in suit. "Oh, I don´t know whether I could allow this since I am your Captain", said the driver with a big smile on his face. "I will take the risk of being fired", Ianto whispered with his lips close to Jack´s left ear.

They left the car and walked to the castle. Jack´s coat fluttered in the wind coming from the Bristol Channel. He looked heroic and sexy, like always, thought Ianto who wore his short black felt coat and had his hands put into the pockets as he tried to catch up with his enthusiastic partner. At the entrance Jack paid the fee and they walked into the main yard which was surrounded by all the buildings of the castle. Frist they visited the Banquet Hall. The furniture was rebuilt the way it may have looked like in the middle ages: wooden tables and chairs, some flags on the ceiling, swords on the walls and big windows. Nobody else was in the room. "Must have been cold in here with these big windows without glass in them", Ianto remarked. "Yeah, medieval people have been quite stupid", Jack joked. "Just imagine what this room had looked like back then: The King and Queen sitting here on these small wooden thrones and all the knights sitting around them on small chairs. They all using their hands to eat, well, there was no cutlery. Servants reaching the food that might have looked very disgusting", Ianto tried to describe a scene. "Well, I have seen worse things in my life. Imagine a bunch of tentacled aliens who eat another kind of fishlike aliens with their tentacles…" "Oh fy duw, stop it! Sometimes the things you saw are really interesting but other times they are just disgusting!", the Welsh man said. "Okay. But there is a really funny story about an incident that happened when John and I worked for the time agency", Jack mumbled while walking around the tables. "You know that I don´t like John. He is so …", moaned Ianto. "I know he is more dire than the dire straits. Bad joke, I know." Ianto narrowed his eyes, looked at Jack and started laughing. "We had a mission: There was a green alien which accidently appeared here on earth. Some Raxacoricofallapatorians thought it would be really funny to confront humans with this reptile-like monster. You can imagine that the medieval people only once saw this shy animal and started to invent stories about it. They called it a dragon. And maybe that´s where all the dragon stories came from. It was just a joke by an alien race who really likes to mock humans", Jack explained. "You´re joking!" "No, or did you believe in dragons?", Jack defended himself. "I thought they were just an invention", Ianto replied. "Every legend has a true part. So, the time-agency wanted us to help the earth to get rid of the threat. Some brave humans already tried to kill the "dragon" but without success. John and I had been sent to the North of England to defeat the dragon. To assimilate we both had to wear armour to look like knights", Jack continued. "I guess you both looked quite stupid." "Of course we did. Anyway all the ladies wanted us. So we tried to find the "dragon". It had hidden in a cave near Carlisle. It was easy sending it back to Raxacoricofallapatorius. All the trouble started after we had killed the "dragon". We have been the heroes and Richard III. invited us to dine with him at Carlisle Castle. During the dinner Richard offered us to be his life guards. When we declined he offered us the most beautiful ladies of his kingdom. We also declined this gracious offer because we wanted to leave at night. After dinner we had to join the King in his library and had to play some kind of stupid card game. We drank some wine and amused ourselves quite well. Later we asked for a room for the both of us. The King himself led us to this room. We stepped into the room and Richard followed us, closed the door and locked it. Then he came near us and whispered: "I know what you are." John and I were scared because we assumed the King to be a Slitheen due to his smell. You know if Slitheen disguise as human they fart a lot. We pulled out our guns and wanted to shot Richard III. The King got frightened and produced a high pitched shout. "You´re scared?", John asked. "Bien sûr", the King cried. "You are not a Slitheen?", I asked. "No, I am the King of England" "Well alright", we said unison and put back our guns. We mistook the King´s smell for the smell of a Slitheen. But in the Middle Ages all the people stank like that", Jack laughed. "You mean you almost killed the King because he smelled like hell?", Ianto asked and started laughing. "Yes, we were just careful. That´s not the end of the story. John wanted to know what the King thought we were since we mistook him for an alien. "You are pretty men with a good taste, I assume", they King told us meekly. We were pleased. "So you would be pleased if we may have some fun together tonight?", the King asked. John and I looked at each other then smirked. "Yes", said I and that´s how the story ended. The defeaters of the dragon didn´t get the girl, instead they got the King", Jack smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

"You´re kidding!?", Ianto exclaimed. "No", Jack smirked. "But you said he stank like hell. How have you been able to spent time with him in one room, leave alone…?", Ianto asked. "Well, we haven´t been high or something. So, there was that smell. John and I considered that too: As the King came back from the bathroom the smell was gone, also his mink coat and frock. So it was not the King himself who owned that smell but his clothes. You may know that people in the Middle Ages barely washed themselves but the Aristocracy luckily did! Also there were no such things as washing machines or dry cleaners, so nobody washed their clothes not even Kings. John and I didn´t regret it…", Jack laughed. "Atal! I really don´t want to know the story in detail", Ianto begged. "Okay, at least you could say we made England and the King gay in one day!", Jack smirked. "Why don´t we go outside and see some more of the castle and give me the chance to erase that picture from my mind? I just remembered a painting of Richard III. and his awful chin." "Sorry, I know you don´t always like my stories", Jack said looking down at his shoes. "It´s not your stories but the thought about how long you have already been alive and all the things you have seen and lost. To think about that and about the fact that I will lose you someday and you will lose me makes me drist iawn, very sad", Ianto said looking out of the window. "Come on! Get that out of your pretty head. We are here and it´s now. We are here together, so let´s seize the day!", Jack tried to cheer him up and pet his lover´s cheek. They went outside in the main yard. One could only guess what the main part of the castle may have looked like because time made a ruin out of most of its parts. While strolling through the yard the both of them didn´t dare to hold hands, it would have gained attention and that´s the last thing they wanted. They just wanted to be left alone for their few days off. Just the two of them, without any aliens or old people who throw devilish glances at them due to two men holding hands. As they left the Castle through the gatehouse Ianto suggested taking a walk around the castle and enjoying the view from the hill on which the castle has been built. It was a lot calmer outside the medieval walls and a small path led through the trees which weren´t as old as the castle. Due to the width of the path they had to walk behind each other, Jack walked in front of Ianto. The weather was nice but there was a breeze just strong enough to make Jack´s coat fly and reveal his bottom. "Oh, nice view from my position", Ianto joked. "Really, I only see trees and ruins", Jack turned round. "Yes, if you wouldn´t mind come over here", Ianto gestured with his right hand. The Captain stepped next to the Welsh boy. "I still can´t see anything else than trees", Jack complained. "One step more to the left and you will see!" He did so and stood right in front of Ianto. "Wow, I can even see the bridge we passed earlier", Jack was satisfied. "Alright and my view got even better. I see something tall with big ears, almost without any grey hair and a nice bottom. Although the big RAF coat is hiding most of it, still it promises an inviting body", Ianto described his view and couldn´t resist grabbing Jack´s waist. "Oh, hello young boy you surprised me. What are you doing here?", Jack acted. "I was just about to write a love song for my dearest princess who lives in this castle but then I was distracted", Ianto acted along. "Oh, what a pity, I guess the young lady would indubitably like what you prepared for her", Jack tried to sound like a medieval nobleman. "What if I am not interested into her anymore?", Ianto sounded like a minstrel. "Well, in that case I would like to hear that wonderful song of yours. It would be a waste if nobody is going to hear it." "Gyda phleser! I came to the conclusion that it wouldn´t fit for her nevertheless I think it better fits your person", Ianto flirted. "Oh, you are a boy of a certain wit." Ianto cleared his throat: " Dearest one, you lift my soul higher than the castle keep. You make my skin like that of a goose even if there is no puff around. I can´t compare you to anything I ever saw in my limited world. When my eyes meet the ocean of yours they dive into each other and I feel like after two bottles of wine. All I can think about is the way just are: Your gestures, your pretty head, your flat stomach, your unique chin and how much I want our lips to meet like the ones of a bridal couple. Would you be so kind and make my dream come true?", Ianto declaimed. "Of course, because my heart feels the same for the blue eyes of yours and the way you look at me!", Jack said then he felt a pair of lips at the back of his neck. When they completed their tour around the castle they both got into the car and had some coffee and sandwiches. "My dearest one, would you please be so kind and tell me where we are going?", Ianto asked impatiently. "No! It´s still a surprise!", Jack refused to tell him. "You do have a hard shell, Jack Harkness." "I do my best to keep the government´s secrets. By the way, did you know that there are aliens in England?", Jack smirked. 


	5. Chapter 5

"Gwir?", Ianto asked ironically. "Of course! You have to be careful because some of them can change their shape and they are really aggressive. It could also be that you, my dear boy, are an alien. I have to make sure that you are human", Jack replied. "And how on earth will you do that?", Ianto said challenging. "At first I need to check your smell", Jack´s nose came closer to Ianto´s head and hair. "What do you think Captain? Am I normal? Am I human?", Ianto asked sarcastically. "Well, you don´t seem ordinary, you seem a bit outstanding and also somehow sweet. Oh, but I need to check more intensive", Jack petted the Welsh boy´s cheek and moved closer to his lips. "If you allow it, I would like to check even more effective." "If it´s for the safety of the country", Ianto agreed. Jack grabbed Ianto´s hair and kissed him severely. When they both were able to breathe normally again after breaking the long kiss Jack said: "The government allows you stay on earth. You are not a threat. But I can´t allow you to leave this car because we haven´t reached our destination yet", Jack ordered. "So, off we go. I guess you won´t tell me where we are going to. I will just sit here and enjoy the nature and especially the view on my right hand side". Jack started the engine and drove back on the M48 and then on the M4. After about 15 minutes they reached the Second Severn Bridge and crossed the Bristol Channel. "So, we are driving to the South?", Ianto asked. "Maybe", Jack answered grinning. "Are we going to Bristol? I have never been to Bristol", Ianto wanted to know. "Yes, but it´s not our final destination. We will stay in Bristol for the night as it is already late in the afternoon and I know that you´ve never seen Bristol", Jack hinted. "Well, it´s good to know where we are going to sleep tonight", Ianto said with relief. "Anyway, I bet that we won´t be sleeping that much … I booked a hotel for us", Jack smirked. Ianto´s cheeks turned reddish though he was used to his lover´s offensive hints. Still after all the time they had already been together, it was hard for Ianto to talk openly about their love. He still felt a bit of shame when Jack was holding his hand or making nasty comments in public. Some years ago he wouldn´t have thought of him being in a relationship, leave alone with somebody of the same sex or his boss. Jack never had any problems with exposing his way of life. For Ianto it was something new when they started dating each other. He hasn´t opened up to anyone about his feelings, especially not to his colleagues until Jack came into his life. His lover helped him to open up to other people and to develop closer friendships. As Ianto thought about all this he looked at Jack´s profile and then smiled because he was so happy to have found someone like his lover. It was almost 7 when they drove into the town centre. As Ianto was curious and excited he looked out of the windows of the car to see as much as possible of the city. Jack turned right in the direction of the river. "This has to be King Street. We are almost there", Jack looked around and tried to view something familiar. "Yes, King Street.", Ianto approved. The driver turned the stirring wheel to the left. "Welsh Back? Are you serious? This is quite offensive as I am from Wales and …", Ianto was embarrassed. "Oh, I didn´t recognise this. Now I see how good this fits. Well, I can´t argue that I don´t like Welsh backs… especially yours", Jack laughed. "That´s not funny!" "Sorry, it really wasn´t intended though it would have been a good joke…", Jack apologized. "But you chose a hotel at the river?", Ianto asked. Jack nodded. "Oh, I hope it´s not too expensive" "Why? It´s a "business trip" for Torchwood, so the government is paying", Jack explained. "Ok, Captain!" It wasn´t that easy to get Torchwoods SUV into the car park. When the driver finally parked the big black car in the darkest corner of the car park, he turned the key and unfastened his seatbelt then looked at the co-driver. "Fancy a romantic evening?", he asked. Ianto turned red at the very thought about the suggestion as he was deep on the inside a true fan of romantic things. He never told Jack about his preferences and his idea of a perfect evening. "I´ll take that as a "Yes". So hurry up boy and get the bags into the room and you will receive a tip", Jack said. Then he smiled and unfastened Ianto´s seatbelt and "accidently" touched his hip. They simultaneously opened their doors and jumped out of the car. Jack opened the trunk to get his bag and handed the other bag to Ianto. He took his hand and guided him to the stairs because he knew that the younger one was claustrophobic and secretly afraid of getting stuck in an elevator.

The receptionist smiled a bit too bright when he spotted the man in the RAF coat and his escort in a black suit.  
"Captain Harkness I presume. I noted the stripes. Your double bedroom is ready", the man in his fifties behind the desk said. "Alright. Do I need to sign anything?", Jack asked. "Yes, one autograph here and these are your key cards." "Thank you", Jack handed his partner one of the cards. "4th floor the third on the left. Have a nice stay. Breakfast is served between 7 and 10 o´clock. Do you need someone to help you with your luggage?", the receptionist asked. "No thanks, I already found a pageboy", Jack responded gravely. Ianto turned red up to his ears and headed towards the stairs.


	6. Chapter 6

They reached the landing of the 4th floor, Ianto breathing heavily as he carried the bags. Jack headed to the door with the golden 42 on it. He put the key card into the system then pressed down the handle with enthusiasm. Nothing happened, except for a grown up man running against a closed door. Ianto laughed at the sight. "Old people and new technology are not a good combination, let me try", said the younger one still smiling. The first attempt was successful. Jack followed him inside the room. "I am not old!", Jack protested. "Ie, you are!" Jack sat down on the king size bed in the middle of the room. "You´re right, I lived so many lives. And now I am old. Time´s faster than me", Jack sighed. The Welsh man put his jacket on a rug behind the door, got rid of his shoes and climbed on the bed so he could hug Jack from behind. He kissed his neck: "To me you are not old. I know that I can´t imagine what it is like living more than 100 years, leave alone what dying is like. I don´t care how old you really are. Hey, you´re still hot!" His hug tightened. Ianto having slanged his arms around Jack´s breast they sat on the bed for 10 minutes and none of them said a word. "Jack?" "Yes, what´s wrong?" "I can hear something growl." "No, if you´re trying to tell me you can hear alien noises I am going nuts!" "Jack, calm down it´s only my stomach, I am hungry", Ianto laughed. "You…", Jack said smiling and doing an unpredictable move so he could roll over and lie on top of Ianto. "Let me check! As you know I do take my job seriously and I need to proof that there is no alien inside your stomach." Jack sat down on Ianto´s hips and loosened the purple tie, then unbuttoned the reddish shirt and laid his ear on the bare belly. "Oh, terrible noises could be something dangerous. Let me try to talk to it through your skin", Jack said putting his lips onto the naked skin and kissing his way up and down. "Interesting methods. But I would suggest to get something to eat instead of you eating me", Ianto remarked. "Alright. The Alien doesn´t react to my attempts. Maybe I could suck it out through your mouth", not a second later their lips met and Jack performed a kiss full of relish and craving. They both without any question enjoyed it. But as Ianto´s lips were free again he moaned: "Jack, I am really hungry. Let´s go somewhere, right now everything is alright for me as long as it is eatable, please!" "Sorry for holding you back, but as I can feel you enjoyed it", Jack smirked, still sitting on Ianto´s hips. The boy´s face turned almost as red as his shirt. The one on top of him gave him a kiss on the cheek and went to the bathroom. At the door he turned around to say: "Guess you need some more time to get back your consciousness." At the door Ianto helped Jack into his coat and they walked down the stairs and left the hotel. Jack tucked his hands in his coat-pockets and paced forward. "Where are we going?", Ianto asked from behind, trying to catch up. "You´ll see soon", was the only answer he got. Ianto rolled his eyes, at this point even hungrier. "…I´d like for you and I to go _romancing,_ say the word your wish is my command…", Jack hummed as they walked next to the river. "Wait", Ianto caught up with Jack and continued the song at another line, "dining at the _Ritz_ , we´ll meet at nine precisely!" Jack suddenly stopped. "No, I was just humming. When I think of the _Ritz_ I have to think of the incident with the dancing hall and the Rift. Thinking about that and especially of a particular person still makes me sad." Ianto´s mouth dropped open. "I´m sorry. I should have known that it´s hard for you to be remembered of your namesake. I just thought you´re doing a Queen-joke", he said looking down ashamed. Suddenly Jack turned right, walked along a landing stage, held a glass door open and gestured Ianto to enter the ship. "Oh Captain, you on a ship?" "It´s docked!", Jack countered. "So no problem for the seasick Captain, I hope?", Ianto joked. "Everything will be alright, I guess." He stepped towards a little table. "Good evening, do you have a reservation?", the man in an apron asked. Jack showed his teeth, lifted his eyebrows and ejaculated his typical "Hello!" Then added: "Yes, for two and the name is Harkness". "Alright I´ll bring you to your table. Follow me, please!" The man in the Royal Airforce coat followed the waiter and his date. He walked to his chair, the one without a view on the river to prevent their date from being ruined by a spontaneous hint of sickness. "Wait!", Ianto ordered and walked over to help Jack out of his coat. Lifting his eyebrows the Captain´s eyes followed the young man´s hands. They both sat down and looked into each other´s eyes. Like the ocean meeting the sky, their eyes were lost in each other. This moment oozing with romantic was broken by the waiter who passed them the menus. To complete the destruction of the romantic situation the man in the apron lit the candlestick between the two men. "The chef recommends the oxtail soup and the caviar." "I bet he does!", Jack said laughing almost falling off his chair. Ianto just sat there turning red due to his partner being so childish and embarrassing. He expected an evening out with all ingredients of romance and couple-stuff. But at that point it promised to be a tragedy with all the other guests looking at the laughing man. 


	7. Chapter 7

Being able to open his eyes when he got himself together, he saw a not so happy Ianto opposite of him. He immediately stopped laughing and sat straight, well as straight as he was able to … "I´m sorry." Jack looked down on the table. "But I really am a bit uncomfortable. It´s been a long time since the last time I had a dinner-date with someone." With a short gaze at Jack, Ianto asked: "How long?" "31 years to be precise." "Oh, I´ve got a suggestion: Let´s pretend the last 3 mins didn´t happen. So, I give you another chance", said Ianto breathing heavily. "Wine?", Jack asked politely. "Sir, I normally don´t drink alcohol of any kind. But wine is a different case: To me wine is like the holy beverage of the wise, ancient Greek men." "Didn´t know you think so. Anything related to ancient Greece is good in some way… I´ll choose a wine, if it´s alright with you." The boy in the suit nodded with a smirk. The waiter poured the wine into the glasses and left the two lovers alone. "To our days off!", Ianto toasted. "Hey, as your boss, I didn´t hear that!" Ianto gave him a challenging gaze. Not wanting to destroy the atmosphere, they left out the ten minutes of talking about how good the wine tasted.

Ianto broke the silence: "Where are we going?" "You never give up, don´t you?" "No, I am still insisting on knowing our destination!" Jack shock his head and smiled. "No! … You´re enjoying the trip until now?" "Of course. This romantic dinner starts slowly but I hope you don´t feel pressurised." "Me? Let me finish that glass and you´ll soon get the pleasure of being here with the romance side of your boss." "I don´t think you´re here as my boss" Jack swallowed. "No", he said petting the glass. Silence. Still silence.  
"That day you sneaked about my hunting ground to meet me and the day after you stalked me then tried to persuade me with your excellent coffee and compliments trying to get a job at Torchwood. I never thought I would go out with my stalker", Jack chuckled. "Hey, these were honest compliments and pleasantries. I´m not that skilful in applying to a job, leave alone approaching someone that hot." Ianto lifted his eyebrows. "Oh, you were such a brat following me and begging all day long. But you convinced me." "I know! Were it my hunting skills or me catching and lying on you when you tried to sedate the pterodactyl?", Ianto wanted to know. "Hm… There I was underneath you which have been by the way very good. Myfawny and you needed a job and a home so as generous as I am, I gave you what you longed for", the way Jack smiled while saying that made Ianto know that it was kind of ironic. "Oh, the generous Captain! I have to confess that there was more than the work that dragged me to you." He turned red. "There was your aura. You. I felt something foreign the first time I saw you and the first time I touched you and eh laid on you." "51st Century pheromones!", Jack said proudly. "I don´t think they were the only reason I fell for you. There was more. I sensed that you were what I needed. Not only physically but psychologically. You got me out of a hole. All that stuff with Torchwood London and Lisa…" "Hey, you fancied me the first day we met?", Jack was surprised. "Yes. Still I was too shy to dare a step. You are my boss. I was together with Lisa. I begged you to employ me. Normally it took me a long time to get to know somebody before I fall in love. And you … you flirted with me on end. I have to admit that I liked that and still do." "Oh, I do my best. I am just honest", Jack felt flattered. Finally their food was severed. Ianto just ordered the dish of the day while Jack wasn´t able to concentrate during his giggling.  
"Is it strange for you that you gave your stalker a chance?", Ianto asked when he finished his risotto. "Hm. No. ´Cause I once also stalked someone and later we dated. I wasn´t that importunate, there were worse die-hard fans than me." "Now I´m curious! Dweud!" Jack hesitated. "Normally you´re an open book about your former lovers", Ianto drove Jack into it. "This was a bit different to the other stories that are supposed to appear in my book…." Jack emptied his glass of wine in a resolute way. "Get me off that ship safely and I´ll tell you. Waiter!" The bill was payed. So the Welsh boy just had to link arms with his lover and get him out of the restaurant on the ship.  
The man in the Air Force coat took a deep breath. "To give my story more intensity we have to get somewhere special. You´re lucky it´s within walking distance." "I am afraid you have to get me there. The fresh air helps me to remember that I normally don´t drink that much", non-typical for Ianto he offensively took Jack´s hand and nestled his shoulder at the other man´s. "Ohw, a snuggling Ianto. Are you OK? Or should I move on to always offer you wine" "Gau i fyny!", Ianto said furiously. "I´m glad I didn´t understand that one", Jack said, shut up and walked away from the river.  
After about 5 minutes they reached a huge building. "So, the Hippodrome. You´re telling me you stalked and dated someone you saw at a musical?", Ianto was confused. "Not exactly. Indeed it was someone I saw there. It was back in 1977 on the 23rd of May. That night Queen played at the Hippodrome…"


	8. Chapter 8

**8** Ianto´s jaw dropped. He didn't dare to speak. "It was in the late 70s. I was on my way to Bristol wearing white sneakers, red skinny trousers and a blue tank top." Snorting a laughter Ianto looked at a total earnest Jack. "Sorry." "Since I worked for the government, it was easy for me to get a backstage ticket for the Queen-concert. I arrived way too early in Bristol. Oh, I was a die-hard fan, I knew all lyrics and all outfits. It has always been my dream to go to a concert and see the group of humans I loved most on this planet." "You´re still a fan of Queen, I suppose?", Ianto´s eyes glittered in the street lights. "Yes! And I finally learned that you´re too a huge fan" Grabbing his lover´s cheeks Ianto blew a quick kiss on his lips. "Hey, no patience? I thought you´re deeply interested into my story", Jack was emotionally attached. Ianto blushed. "Sorry, go on, please! I am all ears." "Ok. My ticket got me to meet the band before the concert. Well, due to my impatience I approached them on their way to the Hippodrome. I followed them keeping a certain distance. They didn´t recognise me but I was able to be near them. Brian seemed to cheer up the group. Especially Freddy appeared to be stressed and not very happy. When he got onto the stage later that evening, you wouldn´t have guessed that. I finally met them in the backstage area. This sounds great until you recognize you are not the only one with a backstage-pass. So… nine other people and I stood there with their notebooks and cameras waiting for the band. And oh my god, I hate girls who scream their soul out when they see a boy group!" "Wait, you can´t tell me you didn´t scream, when you finally saw them in person?" "No, ´cause I am a grown man…" Ianto felt embarrassed and blushed a little, luckily it was rarely lit where they stood, so the other man didn´t see the colour of his cheeks. "After I got my eyesight back, due to all the flashlights of the other´s cameras, I got in line behind the others to shake the musician´s hands and tell them my name. Some people claim that they have a special feeling or geese skin when they meet important people like the queen or the pope. I am not suspicious but my heart skipped a beat when I shook Freddy´s hand. His eyes caught mine and we looked at each other and held hands longer than it would have been appropriate for this situation. As I am kind of experienced in that territory, and of course back then already was …", Jack smirked proudly. "… I felt that there was some kind of tension between us." Here the one in the RAF coat inserted a dramatic pause which made his vis-á-vis´ jaw drop. "No way! You are kidding!" "No, I am not. And I can tell you that Brian May is a nice man, he is funny and always wears a smile. But seemed a bit confused in this situation. Back to the story: After the autographs and handshakes we, the civilians, had to leave so the band was able to concentrate and prepare for the show. So I took my place in the second row. The concert could have been a soccer match due to all the bawling in the hall. English men have that one certain pitch and manner of singing like an army. But back to the real musicians: The audience got mad when they came on stage. Roger Taylor in jeans on the drums. John Deacon with his bass. Brian May with his curly head and beautiful guitar. During the intro of A Day At The Races Freddy stepped on stage with a biker jacket and this hot skinny chessboard suit…" "Oh my god, don´t remind me of that. The 70s had been a quite extravagant time", admitted Ianto. "Nevertheless, when Freddy started singing his first song, it was Tie Your Mother Down, by the way, all the people listened, because his voice was so perfect. You know these bands that sound good on a record but if you see them live you tend to believe it´s another singer due to all the modifications they did to the record. Jet Freddy sang with so much energy and emotion. The ballads like Somebody to Love almost made one cry and all the rock songs had been so powerful. They played all my favourite songs: Killer Queen, Good old-fashioned lover boy, Bohemian Rhapsody and a good Oldie, Jailhouse Rock. The time stood still, and believe me, I do fully understand the concept of time. Ah, you should have seen Freddy´s outfits: After the leotard he got back out in some kind of glittering jacket and for the last song he came out in his royal cloak and crown to walk around the stage like a king and the others playing God Save the Queen." "Wow! I am jealous, I would give anything to see them live but with the original singer. But that´s impossible in these days." The two of them were still standing in front of the Hippodrome and looked at the building which was only lit by a few street lights and the stars from above. They didn´t speak for a few minutes. Looking down Ianto thought about Mercury´s tragic fate. When Jack took his hand he shocked Ianto who was in deep thought. He gently led him back to the hotel. It was late at night. Lying in bed Jack wrapped his hands around Ianto and whispered in his ears: "If the Doctor ever comes back again, I will force him to take you and me with him on a time travel to an original Queen concert." Hearing these romantic words made Ianto press himself against Jack´s chest, yawned and kissed him goodnight. 


	9. Chapter 9

**9** Feeling his lover that close and his curiosity made it impossible for Ianto to fall asleep. He winded himself out of Jack´s arms, he knew that the older one wasn´t asleep. He turned on the light. Jack groaned and held his hands up like he just flew into the sun. "Hell, Ianto, what´s wrong?" "I can´t sleep and I´ve got the feeling you didn´t tell me the whole story!" "I told you, my life is a bit complicated, it´s impossible to tell my life´s story chronologically. And, I don´t want to be rude, but your human brain wouldn´t be able to understand everything of it." The naïve human´s face wore an offended expression then he said neutrally: "Not that story. The story about Freddie. You telling me he looked into your eyes like that and you never met again. I don´t believe that!" Jack looked down onto the blanket they both lay under and felt the other one starring at him in anticipation. He thought for a moment then sat up straight in the hotel bed and grabbed Ianto´s hands. "You!", said Jack holding the Welshman´s hands and smirking. "I know you, Jack Harkness! You would never give up that fast. You would even risk getting slapped or arrested for trying to seduce someone. And stories never end like that; I have seen enough romcoms to know that damn well!" Jack took a deep breath. "Alright, I have seen you getting information out of non-cooperative aliens. To speak frankly, I am a bit afraid of your methods." Ianto´s face changed to cheeky. "Back in 1977 they did their "A Day At The Races Europe Tour" and the last 6 concert locations were in the UK. I planned to go to all of them. - Yeah, I was really obsessed and the incident backstage at the Hippodrome here in Bristol gave me some kind of hope - I was alone back then, working for Torchwood wasn´t that great, mostly due to the team. - Believe me, now it´s totally different since you and the others are part of the team - So, I spent the days in Bristol stalking the whole band and especially Freddie. Don´t judge me, but I spent the whole day looking unsuspicious around the hotel. The gigs in Southampton and Stafford were almost the same: The band drives to the hotel then to the concert location and back to the hotel again. Their fourth hotel was in Glasgow and I was there even before the band arrived that day in Scotland. The show at the Apollo Theatre was even greater than the others were. After the show their bodyguards and I escorted them to their hotel. Due to all the mad fans in the street they walked and the whole route was blocked. I followed them unsuspicious on their coat´s-tail. On crossing the river Clyde something strange happened: There was some kind of earthquake which only affected the bridge they walked on. The shore laid as still as always but the solid bridge wobbled like something in the river was rocking it back and forth. All the swinging made the whole convoy fall off the bridge and into the river. They screamed, the bodyguards tried to save them but there were some strange arms, almost like tentacles, which grabbed all of them and forced them under water. On seeing this I put out my gun and jumped into the water. I am not a good diver, yet I snatched a fast moving tentacle, held the gun at it and fired. The creature´s arm got a hole and after one more shot it fell off completely. Losing one arm seemed not to impress the monster, so I swam toward the captured ones. I shot off the arms that were about to choke them all. Freeing the first three guards was quite easy. The creature, I assume it was some kind of alien, held them in its longest tentacles so I didn´t have to get that close to its mouth. It seemed to choke the quarry first before eating it in one piece. With every arm I shot off, the monster seemed to become weaker. I had to get some air after this. On this I saw some police men in swimming suits that just arrived. Out of breath I instructed them to help me to rescue the whole band and some more of the guards. We got under water and I swam towards the alien´s head just to see that Freddie hang motionless in one of the thickest tentacles. Wrapping myself round the tentacle I fired three quick shots to tear off the extremity. A great amount of black blood splashed onto me but I was able to get Freddie out and to bring him above the water´s surface. I put him on my back, tangling his arms around my neck. He didn´t move. Afraid he might have already died, I laid him down at the shore. Slapping his cheeks gently didn´t help. So I had to do reanimation. I sat myself above him to hit his chest, and then gave him some air out of my lungs…" Ianto´s mouth was so big a whole apple could be fit in. The story teller smiled and showed his teeth. "It took me, even with my live-giving breath, more than three attempts to make him breathe again. He spit out a mixture of dirty water and black blood. When he finished spitting and got back his senses he looked at me still sitting above him and staring at him in hope he might come back to life. He blinked a few times, coughed and then said "thank you!" with a big smile. The police in the back had already killed the alien and now stood behind us. "Glasgow Police! We do have some questions, Sir!" "I am Torchwood! Contact Torchwood and they will care about the corpse!", I said without even looking at them. 


	10. Chapter 10

**10** Happy about bringing Freddie back to live, I didn´t see the others gathering around us in their blankets. I still sat there totally paralyzed above him. Getting back my senses I got up and helped Freddie to his feet. He instantly hugged me to thank me one more time, and then stepped towards Brian who grinned, happy to see his friend alive. The band members all stepped into a great hug. They gave the freezing Freddie a blanket too, because the river Clyde isn´t made for late night swimming. "And what´s our guardian angel´s name then?", asked Brian. "I´m Jack. I was just around, you know, on my way home after the concert." "We all wouldn´t be alive anymore if you were not to be around. You are a police man then?" "You could say so, I work for a special unit…" "How can we even thank you for saving our lives?", John asked. "Oh, I was just doing what everyone would have done, or what I consider my job." "You were so brave, you could have been killed, too!", Roger said. "Well…that´s not a… problem for me… I was trained to save people.", I stuttered. "You! Come with us to the hotel and we will celebrate that we are still alive!", Brian said with open arms. We all went to Brian´s room; he booked some kind of suite with a big room furnished with sofas. Freddie, still a bit weak after being half-dead, sat down in an armchair opposite me. I startled when Roger opened a bottle of champagne with a big _plop_ and caught myself starring at Freddie. Brian put his arm around my shoulders and handed me a glass of champagne. "To our saviour, Jack!" We all toasted and drank. "Jack, what do you want to eat? I will order anything you want!", Brian said. "Oh, pizza would be great", I said totally surprised. They ordered the biggest pizza I´ve seen in all my life! I swear! We ate and talked: They asked about my job and I had to tell, that I am not allowed to tell what exactly I am doing. "You sound quite American, Jack. How come you work for the British Government?", John asked. "Well, I am half American, half Scottish. My life is a bit confusing, but it led me here and now I got that job. Sometimes things happen without a particular reason", I tried to give him a satisfying answer. "And we are very thankful that your life led you here to save all our lives", said Brian, lifting his glass once more. The more we drank and ate, the more colour came back to Freddie´s face and he thawed out. He was exactly as I have always imagined him: Brilliant, smart, witty, extroverted and charming. "You went to the concert alone?", John asked. "Yeah, I am out of business. And… since I am a great fan… I have also been to your shows in Bristol, Southampton and Stafford.", I said stuttering and grinning because I realised how stupid it was and they might have thought I was a stalker." "You were a stalker!", Ianto protested. "Yeah, to speak frankly, I have been stalking them. I was and still am a great Queen fan! Forgive my enthusiasm.", Jack turned a bit red. "And this makes me love you even more, because I am also a huge fan, thou I haven´t been alive back then…", Ianto whispered the last few words and grabbed Jack´s head to force him into a kiss. After each one of them restrained their own tongue into their own mouth again, Ianto sat there, upright like a schoolboy, in anticipation. "Pray continue, Captain, my Captain!" "Your wish is my command!", said Jack and put a fleeting kiss onto his lover´s cheek. "They all burst into a laughter. "So you are a diehard fan, then?", Brian asked. "Yeah, kinda…" "Wait! I have seen you in Bristol! You were with the other fans who visited us in the backstage area!", Freddie suddenly exclaimed. "Yes, I managed to get a special ticket. You remember me?" "Of course, I love all my fans and sometimes these situations are the only occasions to get in touch with them. I often only see shadows of them or hear them sing along when I am on stage due to all the lights. And I must admit that I am concentrated on stage…", Freddie confessed. The other´s around us just nodded, they must have been thinking about Freddie´s distinctive stage show. "Oh, I love the way you perform. It´s so honest and all the power you put into you voice and movements… The way you dress, walk around and hold the microphone is just so… powerful and sexy!", I said that without thinking about what I was saying and turned a bit red. The other band members looked at me with a hint of confusion." "You were ashamed about telling other people about your sexuality and who you considered hot?", Ianto was confused. "Yeah, back in the 70s it wasn´t that easy to come out. You know, even Freddie never told anyone officially about his sexuality, it was just too dangerous and the truth may have thrown you out of society. Earth is a strange planet and was even stranger in the past." "So, how did you save your ass then?", Ianto asked giving Jack a cunning look. "That very moment the room service rang, and helped me out of the situation. Everybody except Freddie and I got up to get the new beverages. I caught his look and he didn´t seemed confused, yet a bit proud with a hint of red in his face. He straightened himself and crossed his legs, while watching me attentive. Two more bottles of champagne were opened and emptied and everybody in the room except Freddie and me enjoyed the alcohol and its effects. "Are you a smoker, Jack? Fancy a cigarette on the balcony?", Freddie leaned forward. 


	11. Chapter 11

**11** ""Sure!", I replied and followed him to the door leading to the balcony with enough distance to get a glimpse on his bottom." The present Jack lifted his eyebrows. "Outside on the balcony Freddie handed me a cigarette, took a step forward and I bowed towards him so he could light it. My heart literally jumped when our heads were that close to each other and my gaze caught his. We stood there on the rim and looked at the Glaswegian night sky. Blowing out the smoke Freddie turned towards me. "I am speechless! And you may know that I always have something to say. I assume that I may be the only pop singer who allows a die-hard fan in his room." "Oh, don´t be afraid! I won´t harass you, I promise", I defended myself. "I trust you, since you already saved my life. I am thankful for all my fans and part-time guardian angels… How come a man like you with your job likes our music?" I took my time and elongated breathing out the smoke. "Well, your music is great, undoubtable. Ah, the strong guitars, Brian´s a genius. The compositions with piano, e-guitar and your voice make it outstanding! Your voice is brilliant; you always put so many emotions and cheekiness in it. And you make every song significant. It´s not like listening to the radio. Your music has way more power and touches me!"" The present Jack made a pause. "Ok, I may have been exaggerating a bit but standing next to your favourite singer lets you say stupid things and fly into a frenzy and you can´t stop talking", Jack was still ashamed. "Yet Freddie just smiled a big smile. He tapped my arm and laughed. "I am glad you like our music", Freddie seemed proud. "Not only your music. Your performances are unique! All of you performing like your lives are depending on it! The way you play the instruments, especially Brian on the guitar and you on the piano, shows how much you´re into your music. And the way you sing, with all your power, and your voice. And you are a great performer and dancer: You take the microphone and blow life into it, you dance and move your body like a young god… and it´s just so wonderful!", I said very emotionally and threw my hands around. Freddie breathed out the smoke and brought himself in a more relaxing position and looked into my eyes. "Thank you! We do our best, but sometimes we just freak out", he confessed smiling. I smirked. "What about you, Mister Harkness? What do you do if there´s no life to be saved?", Freddie asked me cunningly. "It´s Jack, please. Oh, ehm, I am no musician; I can barely play the tambourine… singing is not my passion. Yeah, at least my dancing qualities are respectable!", I tried to defend myself. "Oh, you like dancing!", Freddie drew on his cigarette, then looked me straight into the eyes. "Yeah, but not dancing like dancing a waltz or a tango. More like going to a disco and moving to the music, but with a feeling for the music", I tried to explain that I was not the kind who just jumped around in a disco. "Oh, so you catch all the gazes on the dancefloor?" "Sometimes", I tried to sound confident and regretted it immediately. "Now I am curious! How about we go dancing tomorrow evening? I know a great club here in Glasgow, there are always some considerable dancers", Freddie looked at me from top to bottom and seemed to imagine what I may look like dancing. " _Like a date?!"_ , I thought, yet didn´t dare to ask fearing it could destroy the atmosphere. "Alright, I am still in the city tomorrow, so it´s no problem for me", I said instead, trying to look not as aroused as I was. "Wow, you saved him and dated him the other day! You!", Ianto grinned dirty. He felt proud to be with someone who met his favourite singer and what else they might have done. Though Ianto didn´t like the stories about Jack´s lovers, he admired that Jack met a great man whom he always wanted to meet in person… but couldn´t due to the singer´s way too early death. "Yeah! The very moment I couldn´t believe it myself. But there I was, having a date with Freddy Mercury!", Jack almost burst due to his pride. "What was dancing with Freddy like?" "Well, as soon as I had found what you have considered appropriate clothes back in the 80s, I made my way to the band´s hotel – Freddy told me told to meet him there, he made a mystery of the dancing location he chose. So it was difficult to get an idea of what to expect of the evening…" "There weren´t any gay discos back then, am I right?" "Sadly, so a date was way more complicated than today: Dancing, but not dancing too close, talking, but in a way that doesn´t look suspicious, dancing, but dancing like a straight…" Ianto laughed. "Hey, it wasn´t funny at all! Hiding all the time can be very exhausting. – So I met him at the hotel. He wore "normal" clothes. You would expect him to wear something extraordinary or eye-catching. But he wore jeans and a red shirt, like being dressed for leisure not for business on the stage. Still he look outstanding. We met in the hotel lobby, Freddy already waited for me, like a girl being picked up for prom. "Good evening!", I said rather awkwardly. "Good evening, Jack!", he said looking directly into my eyes. My heartbeat gained speed. I didn´t know what to say. "Follow me!", Freddy sped out of the hotel and we walked through a cold and rainy night in Glasgow. 


	12. Chapter 12

**12** The rain was heavier than expected, so I got out of my leather jacket and held it above my head. "Hey, what about me?" Freddie suddenly stopped, crossed his arms and looked at me jealously. "Oh, I am sorry. Come along, there´s room for two", I turned red and tried to hide it by laughing stupidly. Freddie followed my invitation immediately: He ducked his head, put his arm around my shoulder and grinned. We paced on again, eager to get out of the rain. It was some kind of challenge for me to have him this close and not to touch him. On reaching the club of Freddie´s choice, we got out from underneath my jacket and laughed like teenagers. We both shook our heads to get our hair on point. For me this was easy, even in the 80s I never had long hair. And you may remember what Freddie´s haircut looked like: He had those shoulder long hair. Said mane, which looked indeed sexy on him, was wet and hanging down in a not very elegant way. "Oh no, look at my head. I look terrible…", he was upset. "Hey, it´s not that bad. You still look good", I tried to cheer him up. "When we get in, I really need to go to the bathroom and dry my hair." I looked at him teasingly, then laughed. The porter let us in and Freddie headed to the bathrooms. And I had nothing better to do then to follow him … "I thought you wanted to take things slow… going to the bathroom with your date is not what I call a step-by-step way of dating", Ianto doubted that Jack, the straight forward one, was any different back then. "Don´t be so preoccupied! This was serious for me. Like when the two of us started dating I didn´t do you on a toilet on our first date. I am a civilised man! How come you think of me like that?", Jack was offended. "No, I didn´t want to say it like that, but to me you always seemed to be the one who holds the reins and does the first step", Ianto didn´t intend to portray his lover as resolute. "In this case I wasn´t even the one who asked for a date. I was asked for a date… well I was asked to go dancing." Luckily Jack wasn´t too offended by Ianto´s words. "Back to my story: You know these electric hand dryers that used to be in school toilets? Well, like a schoolgirl Freddie bowed down to dry his hair with the help of the hot air. At the very sight I burst into laughter again. "Hey, don´t laugh at me! Better help me getting my hair dry", Freddie was serious. So this was offensive: He ordered me to touch his hair. I obeyed. With both my hands I tousled his hair and I couldn´t avoid touching his neck. His hair was almost dry when I realised that he got goose-skin every time my fingertips touched his neck. He seemed electrified by my touch, so I concluded that he liked being touched by me. "Now do something to make it look normal again…", Freddie ordered me. I tried to untangle his curls and to restore the parting of his hair. "Have you ever thought about becoming a hairdresser? You did a great job", he said looking in the mirror and turning his head critically. "No, but thanks for the compliment." "And as a compensation and for your good job you´ll get a drink", on saying that he headed out of the bathroom and towards the bar. When I finally found him at the bar he gave me a glass of Whiskey. He bowed to my ear, so I could hear him over the music: "It´s Scottish Whiskey, since you´re half Scottish." I took a sip: "I actually like it. I feared you may order a fancy cocktail for me." "I don´t like cocktails. I am rather a fan of civilised drinks", Freddie said grinning. I looked around for the first time: It was a typical bar with a dancefloor on which all sorts of young people danced to what you call "oldies" nowadays. We stood there on the bar and looked around, then looked at each other and I recognised how he looked into my eyes. As we both finished our drinks. I grabbed Freddie by the arm and led him to the dancefloor. The first two songs were boring, "Space Odditiy" and "Horse With No Name", but we still had to warm up. Then "Tragedy" by the Bee Gees came on, I got caught by it and really started off. Never mind what I did. Freddie was a dancing-god, I swear! Back then the music was good, believe me, better then these 80s-Parties today. After 10 more songs I was a bit exhausted and Freddie took me by the arm and back to the bar again. He got us another drink. "You´re more than a respectable dancer. I don´t regret taking you here with me", said the man who danced way better. "I can only return the compliment, you dance like you never did anything else in your life. And I am relieved you don´t regret bringing me here. And I don´t regret saving your life, it would have been a great loss for the whole world…" "It was, indeed!", Ianto looked down at his hands. Then Jack´s hands took his head and petted his lover´s cheeks gently. He put a tiny kiss on his lips then put his arms around Ianto´s back. He whispered in his ear: "The world is mean; it takes a lot of great people from us and only if you´re lucky it leaves you with the one´s you love most. I am so happy you´re here with me", Jack kissed the back of Ianto´s head and a small tear ran out of his eye. 


End file.
